Alternator for paper-folding machines



Aug. 12, 1941. I Q KNAPP 2,252,322

ALTERNATOR'FOR PAPER-FOLDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 30, 1940 2 'Sh etS-Shee t 1 Q Inventor Cecil Ivan Knapp y I A ttor eys Aug. 12, 1941. c, KNAPP 2,252,322

ALTERNATbR FOR PAPER-FOLDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 50, 1940 2 Sheets-Shet 2 II'IIIIIH m llllll in van for Cecil [van Knapp A 31:05 neys Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT :OFFICE ALTERNATOR FOR PAPER-FOLDING MACHINES Cecil Ivan Knapp, Camas, Wash. Application November 30, 1940, Serial No. 368,005

9 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for folding sheets of paper and then carrying the same to a stacking pile. Such folding and stacking of sheets is now generally done by machine of the so-called Brannon-folder type. This machine, however, delivers the folded sheets with their folds all located at one side of the stack, and in consequence, the stack is neither level, nor, stable. Therefore portions of the sheets must be restacked manually, continually, so as to place the folds of the sheets in even numbers on both sides of the stack, and thus render the stack stable. This manual restacking takes time, and adds to the cost of the folded sheets.

The object of my invention is to combine with the said type of sheet-folding machine, a means by which the folds of successively folded sheets are alternately placed on opposite sides of the stack of sheets, and thus automatically make up a level and stable vertical stack.

I attain the object of my invention in a sheetfolding machine of the character indicated, comprising a plurality of laterally-spaced endless traveling tapes, onto which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, by adding in combination therewith, oppositely-traveling auxiliary tapes alined with the spaces between the other tapes and lying normally below the latter, and with means, preferably cant-operated, successively raising and lowering said auxiliary tapes relatively to the plane of travel of the firstmentioned tapes, thus to receive and turn the folds of alternate portions of folded sheets in the direction of travel of the auxiliary tapes, making it possible to deposit such sheets on the pile with their folds at the opposite side. i

Further details of the construction and operation of my invention are hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings of a so-called Brannon-type of sheetfolding machine in which my invention is embodied.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show schematic sectional elevations of said type of Brannon sheet-folding machine embodying my invention, the sections being taken on th-eline 22 of Figure 3; Figure 2 in comparison to Figure 1 illustrating the operation of the means provided by me for turning the folded sheets alternately so as to bring'their folds on opposite sides of the stack of piled sheets, and thus produce a stable stack as mentioned;- and Figure 3 is a plan section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2. 1

The sheets to be folded are fed by a suitable conveyor (not shown) to a position directly above the press rolls A and B journaled in the frame sides K of the machine. The sheets are'tucked between the press rolls by a vertically-recipro cated tucker blade D operated by an arm E provided with a cam-roller G riding on the periphery of the cam shoe carried'by a shaft l2 and assumed to be driven" by suitable means (not shown) in synchronism with the means for positioning the sheets to be folded over the press rolls A and B. The press-rolls ar'e assumed to be rotated in opposed directions by suitable means as indicated in the drawings, Figure 3; and the press rolls thus function to fold and press the folds into thesheets in the usual way.

The folded sheets are dropped'upon a conveyor comprising a plurality of endless tapes I, spaced apart as shown by Figure 3, and carried on rolls J, L, M journaled in the frame sides of the machine. These rolls and tapes are driven in one direction, as, for example, the direction indicated by the arrows. The tapes 'I' are those commonly provided ina'machine of the type described, and deliver th folded s'heets'to a vertical stack. In combination with these conveying tapes I', I providea second set of 'rol1sO, P, Q also journaled in the'fr'ame sides, but driven in a direction opposite to that'of the rolls J, L, M as indicated by the arrows; and these rolls carry a plurality of endless auxiliary tapes '3 arranged as shown in Figure 3; the tapes I being located between the auxiliary tapes 3, so that the latter are free to be raised and lowered relatively to the plane of travel of the tapes I.

A rock shaft 6 is journaled in the frame sides and carries a series of rigid lifter arms 5 arranged to bear against the underside of the auxiliary tapes 3. The rock shaft 6 has a rigid slotted arm l0. Avertically reciprocated, camactuated rod 9 carries a pin [2 at its low end which rides in the slot of the arm I 0. The rod 9 is attached at its upper-end toa cross-head l4 slidably mounted in a frame I l. The upper end of a rod 9 carries a cam roller l3 which bears against the cam 8. The auxiliary tapes 3, bearing down on the free ends of the lifter arms 5 tend to depress said free ends and thus hold the camroller I3 of the rod 9 against the cam 8.

p ration The cam 8 is rotated in 'synchronism with the tucking of the sheets between the press rolls A, B. Thus the lifter arms 5 are alternately raised and lowered, the raising thereof being effected by the lobe or extended portion of the periphery of the cam 8 depressing the cam roller [3 of the rod 9, thus moving the slotted arm I downwardly and rocking the rock shaft 6, and thereby raising the lifter arms 5. The raising of the ends of the lifter arms 5 raises the auxiliary tapes 3 from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. When the auxiliary tapes 3 are so positioned the folded sheet dropping from the press rolls A and B will fall on the auxiliary tapes 3 instead of on the stacking tapes I. Since the auxiliary tapes 3 travel in a direction opposite to that of the tapes I, the sheets when falling on the auxiliary tapes 3 will be turned in the direction in which they travel, and thus with the folds thereof on the opposite side of the folds of the sheets which are dropped directly from the press rolls onto tapes I. The sheets dropped on the auxiliary tapes 3 are carried only a short distance, when the cam 8 will again have become positioned so as to lower the ends of the lifter arms 5, thus causing the auxiliary tapes 3 to drop below the stacking tapes I and by this action transferring and depositing of the folded sheets carried by the auxiliary tapes 3 onto the tapes I, which will then deliver them in the usual manner to the stacking pile but with their folds reversed. To facilitate the traveling of the auxiliary tapes 3 over the ends of the lifter arms 5 these ends may be provided with knobs 511.

By my invention, sheets dropped from the press roll A, B will have their folds alternately located on opposite sides of the stack of piled sheets, and thus maintain the stack level and stable, without any manual restacking of the piled sheets being required.

The cooperating devices can be so arranged as to reverse the folds of alternate sheets dropped from the press rolls, or so as to reverse consecutively the folds of a number of sheets, as may be desired.

Instead of causing the folded sheets after being dropped onto the auxiliary tapes 3 then to bedeposited on the tapes I by the immediate lowering of the tapes 3, the tapes 3 could be kept in raised position until the folded sheets resting on them are carried to the end roll Q (Fig. 2) and dropped on a third conveyor (not shown) located below the two conveyors formed by tapes I and 2 and extending beyond them at both ends. The folded sheets dropped directly on tapes I would in such case also be deposited on such third conveyor after passing over roll J. The use of such third conveyor would enable the folded sheets to be first stacked at some distance from the folding machine which might be preferable under certain conditions.

I claim:

1. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination with a sheet-stacking conveyor, comprising a plurality of spaced endless traveling tapes on which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, of a vertically-adjustable auxiliary conveyor comprising a plurality of endless traveling tapes running in the direction opposite to, and arranged to be raised above or dropped below the tapes of the sheet-stacking conveyor, and means alternately positioning the tapes of the auxiliary conveyor above and below the tape of the sheet-stacking conveyor, such means timed to cause folded sheets to be received alternately by said auxiliary conveyor and their folds turned in the direction of travel of said auxiliary conveyor, and then deposited on the tapes of the sheet-stacking conveyor for delivery to the stacking pile.

2. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of spaced endless traveling tapes traveling in one direction, of vertically-adjustable auxiliary tapes running in the direction opposite to, and arranged to be raised above or dropped below said firstmentioned tapes, said auxiliary tapes arranged in the spaces between said first-mentioned tapes respectively, and means alternately positioning said auxiliary tapes above and below said firstmentioned tapes, such means timed to cause folded sheets to be received alternately by said auxiliary tapes and their folds turned in the direction of travel of said auxiliary tapes and by said firstmentioned tapes with the folds in the direction of travel of said first-mentioned tapes, and means for delivering folded sheets from both sets of tapes to a stack.

3. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of laterally-spaced, endless traveling tapes on which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, oppositely-traveling auxiliary tapes alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes and lying below the latter, means alternately, successively raising and lowering said auxiliary tapes relatively to the plane of travel of the sheet-stacking tapes, thus to receive and turn the folds of alternate portions of folded sheets in the direction of travel of the auxiliary tapes, and then to deposit such sheets on the sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile.

4. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of laterally-spaced, endless traveling tapes on which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, oppositely-traveling auxiliary tapes alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes and lying below the latter, cam-operated means alternately, successively raising and lowering said auxiliary tapes relatively to the plane of travel of the sheet-stacking tapes, thus to receive and turn the folds of alternate portions of folded sheets in the direction of travel of the auxiliary tapes, and then to deposit such sheets on the sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile.

5. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of laterally-spaced, endless traveling tapes on which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, oppositely-traveling auxiliary tapes alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes and lying below the latter, a rock shaft, arms carried thereby whose extremities aline with said sheet-stacking tapes, means alternately rocking said shaft, thereby successively raising and lowering said auxiliary tapes relatively to the plane of travel of the sheet-stacking tapes, thus to receive and turn the folds. of alternate portions of folded sheets in the direction of travel of the auxiliary tapes, and then to deposit such sheets on the sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile.

6. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of laterally-spaced, endless traveling tapes on which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, oppositely-traveling auxiliary tapes alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes and lying below the latter, a rockshaft, arms carried thereby whose extremities aline with said sheet-stacking tapes, cam-operated means alternately rocking said shaft, thereby successively raising and lowering said auxiliary tapes relatively to the plane of travel of the sheet-stacking tapes, thus to receive and turn the folds of alternate portions of folded sheets in the direction of travel of the auxiliary tapes, and then to deposit such sheets onthe sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile,

7. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combinatiohof a plurality of laterally-spaced, endless traveling tapes on which the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, oppositely-traveling auxiliary tapes alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes and lying below the latter, a rock shaft, arms carried thereby, the extremities of said arms provided with tape-supporting knobs alined with said sheet-stacking tapes, means alternately rocking said shaft, thereby successively raising and lowering said auxiliary tapes relatively to the plane of travel of the sheet-stacking tapes, thus to receive and turn the folds of alternate portions of folded sheets in the direction of travel of the auxiliary tapes-and then to deposit such sheets on the sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile.

8. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a set of rolls driven in one direction, a plurality of endless, laterallyspaced tapes carried by said rolls on which tapes the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking" pile, a second set of oppositely-driven rolls, a plurality of auxiliary endless tapes carried by the latter rolls, and alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes, and lying below the latter, a series of lifter arms alined with said sheet-stacking tapes, means raising and lowering said rocker arms and timed to cause the folded sheets alternately to be received by said auxiliary tapes and their folds turned in the direction of the travel of the auxiliary tapes, and then to be deposited on the sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile.

9. In a sheet-folding machine of the character described, the combination of a set of rolls driven in one direction, a plurality of endless, laterallyspaced tapes carried by said rolls on which tapes the folded sheets are dropped and carried to a stacking pile, a second set of oppositely-driven rolls, a plurality of auxiliary endless tapes car ried by the latter rolls, and alined with the spaces between the sheet-stacking tapes, and lying below the latter, a series of lifter arms alined with said sheet-stacking tapes, cam-operated means raising and lowering said rocker arms and timed to cause the folded sheets alternately to be received by said auxiliary tapes and their folds turned in the direction of the travel of the auxiliary tapes, and then to be deposited on the sheet-stacking tapes for delivery to the stacking pile.

CECIL IVAN KNAPP. 

